Build your own Iron Man arc reactor

With Iron Man 2 getting ready to hit movie theatersyou are probably wondering how you can get your hands on an arc reactor like the one used by Iron Man to power his suit. Luckily, you don’t have to be Tony Stark to build one. Now there are instructions on the web to build one for yourself.

OK, to be fair it is just a prop, but for hardcore Iron Man geeks out there this has got to be at the heart of any solid Iron Man suit replica. If you don’t have a suit, just walk around with the arc reactor under your t-shirt glowing and people will quickly figure out what’s going on. I think we can agree wearing one of these babies in a bar will surely turn heads. Unfortunately, it is not clear whether that’s a good or bad thing unless you are having drinks with a few buddies you met while attending a comic or sci-fi convention.

The construction of the arc reactor includes two ring assemblies of surface mount LEDs surrounding a central LED whose light is diffused behind a lens. What really takes the build over the top is the addition of an old heart rate monitor which is used to hold the assembly to your chest and causes the LED lights to flash in time with your heart beat.